Sale: Nomos 3 & 4, Lot: 1238. Estimate CHF1750.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 May 2011.  Sold For CHF15000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THESSALY, Perrhaiboi. Circa 460-440 BC. Drachm (Silver, 5.88 g 7).
Thessalian Hero walking right, nude but for cloak and petasos over his shoulder, striding right, holding band around the head of bull rushing to right; behind to left, floral rosette. Rev. ΠΕ Bridled horse trotting to left, with loose rein; below, two geometric countermarks within square indents; all within incuse square . Traité IV 571, pl. CCXCII, 19 (same dies. A lovely example, unusually well preserved and free from corrosion. Lightly and attractively toned. Countermarked, as noted, otherwise, sharply struck and, extremely fine.

A note from BCD: ASW forgot to stress the extreme rarity of the Perrhaiboi archaic drachms, only a handful are known and only two have appeared at auction in recent years. The last one to go under the hammer was estimated at CHF 22,500 but only sold after the sale.